The market place has become incredibly competitive, across all industries and sectors and at all levels. In order to get ahead in the rat race you have to make your company stand out from the rest and give people something solid and professional to remember you by. While great customer service is the cornerstone of marketing, a corporate identity is just as valuable in terms of summing your company up.
A corporate identity must be able to communicate the essence of your business in a glance. In other words, it must be able to say the unspeakable, clearly and professionally. Your logo and corporate stationery must be able to evolve and adapt across all applications to make this possible.
The single most important factor of creating the corporate identity is consistency. This is consistency in terms of application, in terms of location and in terms of summing up everything about your company.
Opinions on what works will differ, and will also have to meet your needs and expectation for your company at some level. There should be no compromise however when it comes to clarity and visibility. Those should be your foundations, how you choose to interpret them is your prerogative. The best CIs over time have been simple. They should be clean and minimal and draw attention to themselves.
Primary colours are used often to achieve this, as are colours with a contrast. Graphics should be symbolic rather than illustrative and slogans are snappy and short. Once you have established these basic parameters, working with them becomes easy. It gives you many creative channels to take the elements through and leaves you with more options to work with without compromising your CI or messaging.
Never skimp on design. While you may be left reeling after a cost overview and not be able to justify the amount of money being quoted, you have to remember that this is an investment. Your corporate identity is an asset, not an expense. You should consider yourself as putting money into the corporate identity as investing in your own company.
If you go in with an idea of what you are looking for and document your expectations, you are less likely to be disappointed. Anyone can improve on something existing and anyone can be dissatisfied with something if they do not know what they wanted.
If you approach a designer with a concrete understanding of what you are looking for, and give them a decent infrastructure in which to work (and invoice), you can also save a bit. Designers charge per hour so any guidance you can give in terms of what you want and stand for will be less work on their part and less on your bank balance.
Showing posts with label marketing strategy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketing strategy. Show all posts
Monday, May 30, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The Four Ps of Marketing
So you have the contacts, networking and financing for a great business and want to get going on your new venture but how are you going to come up with a marketing plan? So many business owners and entrepreneurs make the mistake of believing that because their business ideas are great, they won’t have any problems selling their product or service.
How does your business plan square up against the four p’s of marketing?
1. Product
The most important aspect of whether your marketing plan is going to succeed or not lies in your product and its saleability. If it is something that everyone wants or, even better, something that everyone needs, marketing it is going to be easy. Are you selling a tangible product or providing a service?
You have to be satisfying a niche requirement and fulfilling a consumer need to give a product the wings to take off in the marketplace.
2. Price
Where does your product feature in the market place’s price range? Who can afford to buy it? Is this viable? How many do you need to sell at this price? Is this viable? Your pricing is going to dictate, to a large degree, the target audience that can afford your product, so make sure that you get it right. Too cheap can be as damaging as too expensive so don’t forget your market research.
3. Place
What physical infrastructure do you need to run your business or offer your service? Do you need retail space to sell a product or an office from which to offer your service?
4. Promotion
The medium is the message- what form of promotion is going to best suit your target market and the product you have so accurately priced in the market place?
And here’s one more…
Your business is your best marketing tool, and it doesn’t come at any extra cost. Make sure that keep the people who keep the till rolling happy. Invest in some client relations work and make sure you are offering the best value-added service possible. This is going to help you a great deal with successfully achieving point 4 so invest wisely.
How does your business plan square up against the four p’s of marketing?
1. Product
The most important aspect of whether your marketing plan is going to succeed or not lies in your product and its saleability. If it is something that everyone wants or, even better, something that everyone needs, marketing it is going to be easy. Are you selling a tangible product or providing a service?
You have to be satisfying a niche requirement and fulfilling a consumer need to give a product the wings to take off in the marketplace.
2. Price
Where does your product feature in the market place’s price range? Who can afford to buy it? Is this viable? How many do you need to sell at this price? Is this viable? Your pricing is going to dictate, to a large degree, the target audience that can afford your product, so make sure that you get it right. Too cheap can be as damaging as too expensive so don’t forget your market research.
3. Place
What physical infrastructure do you need to run your business or offer your service? Do you need retail space to sell a product or an office from which to offer your service?
4. Promotion
The medium is the message- what form of promotion is going to best suit your target market and the product you have so accurately priced in the market place?
And here’s one more…
Your business is your best marketing tool, and it doesn’t come at any extra cost. Make sure that keep the people who keep the till rolling happy. Invest in some client relations work and make sure you are offering the best value-added service possible. This is going to help you a great deal with successfully achieving point 4 so invest wisely.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Idea Theft & Copyrighting Copywriting
Patents protect products, copyright protects written and artistic work, but what about ideas?
My first association with the phrase “copycat” goes back to Sunday school, remarkably. I must have been seven or eight years old and we were drawing. I recall being completely engrossed in my picture (of a house. I can also remember my ‘style’ of drawing houses at that age) and looking up to see the person opposite me drawing the same picture.
“Denise!” I exclaimed in protest (Denise was the teacher).
“So-and-so (can’t recall the person’s name) copied my picture!”
“Don’t worry,” she said, “That means you drew a good picture and you should be flattered.”
And I was.
That was when I was seven (or eight), and maybe that’s what Jesus would have done. I am now 27 and trying to make a living from my ideas and really not enamoured when it happens. Note the plural current tense. It has now happened twice and is on the verge of a third occurrence, methinks.
When the thought thief is an adult, and using the ideas to advance him or herself financially or professionally or worse- both- it isn’t really flattering at all. It’s pretty infuriating.
Which is not to say I haven’t harvested my share of information from professionals in my time. Because I have- plenty of times. The difference is that I have never tried to pass it off as my own. And always done it with the intent of saving the company I worked for money, not channelling it through some nepotistic line and getting a kick-back on the side.
Lesson learnt: it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.
My first association with the phrase “copycat” goes back to Sunday school, remarkably. I must have been seven or eight years old and we were drawing. I recall being completely engrossed in my picture (of a house. I can also remember my ‘style’ of drawing houses at that age) and looking up to see the person opposite me drawing the same picture.
“Denise!” I exclaimed in protest (Denise was the teacher).
“So-and-so (can’t recall the person’s name) copied my picture!”
“Don’t worry,” she said, “That means you drew a good picture and you should be flattered.”
And I was.
That was when I was seven (or eight), and maybe that’s what Jesus would have done. I am now 27 and trying to make a living from my ideas and really not enamoured when it happens. Note the plural current tense. It has now happened twice and is on the verge of a third occurrence, methinks.
When the thought thief is an adult, and using the ideas to advance him or herself financially or professionally or worse- both- it isn’t really flattering at all. It’s pretty infuriating.
Which is not to say I haven’t harvested my share of information from professionals in my time. Because I have- plenty of times. The difference is that I have never tried to pass it off as my own. And always done it with the intent of saving the company I worked for money, not channelling it through some nepotistic line and getting a kick-back on the side.
Lesson learnt: it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Marketing Mistakes Clients Make
1. A penny saved is a penny earned:
a. The money boss makes the marketing decisions
b. Believing that not spending on advertising or PR is saving money
c. It seems so expensive so I am going to get the cheapest one OR
d. It seems so expensive so I am going to get the smallest quantity even though the cost per unit is almost double
So many entrepreneurs believe that the mere ingenuity of their idea is what will sell it. Most of them are right, but most of them also do not give any thought to how they are going to get that idea across to their target market. Just because an idea exists does not mean people know about it. Clients spend fortunes on setting up the most advanced operations with the most high-tech equipment and gadgetry and don’t even toss a quarter of an idea at how they are going to give this idea wings, how they are going to carry it across to the people they want to sell it to.
"The person who saves money by not advertising is like the man who stops the clock to save time."- Attributed to A Very Wise Man
2. I am the boss. Therefore I do everything the best
Including writing press releases and marketing material, despite the fact that there is a fully-fledged marketing department at my disposal to do it for me. Yes, you may have put your heart and soul into that new campaign or launch and, while you may have been the fire behind the company for the last twenty years, a press release is not your personal platform for sharing your expertise or thanking everyone you have ever had the pleasure of working with. Give a written or verbal brief and step back.
3. I placed an advert. Advertising doesn’t work
Yes, that is why advertising revenue has reached infinite trillions in terms of revenue generation the world over. Refer to point one. Did you let the money boss decide where to put the ad, how big it should be and where it should go? Did he also decide on a singular placement? Exactly. Advertising is a strange game, sure, but definitely one that has to be played properly. Consult a professional to get the most mileage out of your money when it comes to advertising.
4. The internet is the place to be. If I have a website I will make sales
Yes, you and the 300 billion plus other website owners out there. You have to make a bit more of an effort than that to be singled out. Find out about search engine optimisation, social media marketing and copy writing for the internet.
5. Editorial is not advertising
While great PR can get you good editorial in print, online and broadcast media it cannot get you free advertising. That fabulous package, special or promotion you are running doesn’t count as press release material and can’t be sent out as media release-worthy.
a. The money boss makes the marketing decisions
b. Believing that not spending on advertising or PR is saving money
c. It seems so expensive so I am going to get the cheapest one OR
d. It seems so expensive so I am going to get the smallest quantity even though the cost per unit is almost double
So many entrepreneurs believe that the mere ingenuity of their idea is what will sell it. Most of them are right, but most of them also do not give any thought to how they are going to get that idea across to their target market. Just because an idea exists does not mean people know about it. Clients spend fortunes on setting up the most advanced operations with the most high-tech equipment and gadgetry and don’t even toss a quarter of an idea at how they are going to give this idea wings, how they are going to carry it across to the people they want to sell it to.
"The person who saves money by not advertising is like the man who stops the clock to save time."- Attributed to A Very Wise Man
2. I am the boss. Therefore I do everything the best
Including writing press releases and marketing material, despite the fact that there is a fully-fledged marketing department at my disposal to do it for me. Yes, you may have put your heart and soul into that new campaign or launch and, while you may have been the fire behind the company for the last twenty years, a press release is not your personal platform for sharing your expertise or thanking everyone you have ever had the pleasure of working with. Give a written or verbal brief and step back.
3. I placed an advert. Advertising doesn’t work
Yes, that is why advertising revenue has reached infinite trillions in terms of revenue generation the world over. Refer to point one. Did you let the money boss decide where to put the ad, how big it should be and where it should go? Did he also decide on a singular placement? Exactly. Advertising is a strange game, sure, but definitely one that has to be played properly. Consult a professional to get the most mileage out of your money when it comes to advertising.
4. The internet is the place to be. If I have a website I will make sales
Yes, you and the 300 billion plus other website owners out there. You have to make a bit more of an effort than that to be singled out. Find out about search engine optimisation, social media marketing and copy writing for the internet.
5. Editorial is not advertising
While great PR can get you good editorial in print, online and broadcast media it cannot get you free advertising. That fabulous package, special or promotion you are running doesn’t count as press release material and can’t be sent out as media release-worthy.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Low Cost Marketing Ideas
There’s free and there’s low cost. When you spend a bit of money your capacity to make an impact goes up; it’s something of an investment in your target audience. Here are some easy and cost-effective ways to get your brand out there.
Corporate gifts- unique and free Branding promotional goods that are unique and eye-catching is a great way to ensure you stay front of mind. The trick is to make them unique and useful.
Steal ideas from competition products and services Within reason, of course. What you are looking for is how much they appear to be investing, and where they are investing so you can compete. When it comes to marketing and creativity though, uniqueness is key.
Seek out new and different advertising platforms Look for innovative ways to get your brand out there, and look to put your business in a space that no one else or no one in your industry has ventured into.
Offer something for free- incentivise Give customers a reason to shop with you- what’s in it for them? A discount, something for free, a value-add- these are all ways your business can distinguish itself from competition products when a customer is weighing you up.
Use email to its greatest potential Use your company database actively- to communicate your specials and promotions. People you have an existing relationship with are much easier to convert into customers than people with whom you have no history. This is information you have on record, and it is free. Exercise it.
Don’t underestimate the power of client relationships Great customer service goes a very long way. Never underestimate the power of a solid relationship and exceptional communication skills.
Corporate gifts- unique and free Branding promotional goods that are unique and eye-catching is a great way to ensure you stay front of mind. The trick is to make them unique and useful.
Steal ideas from competition products and services Within reason, of course. What you are looking for is how much they appear to be investing, and where they are investing so you can compete. When it comes to marketing and creativity though, uniqueness is key.
Seek out new and different advertising platforms Look for innovative ways to get your brand out there, and look to put your business in a space that no one else or no one in your industry has ventured into.
Offer something for free- incentivise Give customers a reason to shop with you- what’s in it for them? A discount, something for free, a value-add- these are all ways your business can distinguish itself from competition products when a customer is weighing you up.
Use email to its greatest potential Use your company database actively- to communicate your specials and promotions. People you have an existing relationship with are much easier to convert into customers than people with whom you have no history. This is information you have on record, and it is free. Exercise it.
Don’t underestimate the power of client relationships Great customer service goes a very long way. Never underestimate the power of a solid relationship and exceptional communication skills.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Creating a Successful Marketing Strategy
“Satisfying needs and wants through an exchange process”- Philip Kotler on the phenomenon of marketing.
Here are some essential pointers to keep in mind when creating a successful marketing strategy for any business, regardless of its size, shape or composition.
Define the product / service Make explicitly clear what it is that you are offering, and on what terms that product or service is offered.
Know your target market Learn as much as you can about who you are targeting with your product or service and what their likes and dislikes are.
Know your competition Learn from your competition. Have a look at what they are doing and where they are most active and get some pointers. Most importantly, work out what they are doing and do it better!
Identify a niche The most successful products fulfil a need that nothing else does. Find your niche group and target it effectively.
Generate product awareness Just because your product or service has been born into the marketplace doesn’t give it a right to be known about. Find as many avenues as you can to market your business and do it with aplomb.
Engender credibility Never underestimate the power of word of mouth and make sure that your customers have nothing but the best to say about you, starting from day one. Reputations stick- make sure yours is pretty.
Keep consistent Ensure that everything about your business is consistent, from the messaging to the product you are offering, through to the service you are offering people.
Know when to step back Especially if the business is yours and let marketing professionals do what they do best! You may have conceived, carried and born this business all on your own but there comes a time when you have to let go and listen to good professional advice!
Here are some essential pointers to keep in mind when creating a successful marketing strategy for any business, regardless of its size, shape or composition.
Define the product / service Make explicitly clear what it is that you are offering, and on what terms that product or service is offered.
Know your target market Learn as much as you can about who you are targeting with your product or service and what their likes and dislikes are.
Know your competition Learn from your competition. Have a look at what they are doing and where they are most active and get some pointers. Most importantly, work out what they are doing and do it better!
Identify a niche The most successful products fulfil a need that nothing else does. Find your niche group and target it effectively.
Generate product awareness Just because your product or service has been born into the marketplace doesn’t give it a right to be known about. Find as many avenues as you can to market your business and do it with aplomb.
Engender credibility Never underestimate the power of word of mouth and make sure that your customers have nothing but the best to say about you, starting from day one. Reputations stick- make sure yours is pretty.
Keep consistent Ensure that everything about your business is consistent, from the messaging to the product you are offering, through to the service you are offering people.
Know when to step back Especially if the business is yours and let marketing professionals do what they do best! You may have conceived, carried and born this business all on your own but there comes a time when you have to let go and listen to good professional advice!
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